Memory Lane
by HoldMe07
Summary: After an accident with the TARDIS, The Doctor is injured and his companion, Fitz, tries his best to look after him. But there's something The Doctor is keeping from him. And it isn't long before IT starts all over again.
1. Reviving and Rememebering

**Doctor Who**

Memory Lane

Everything was quiet. Fitz was unconscious with a cut on his forehead. Smoke hissed from the TARDIS console and, every now and then, gave off a spark. As usual, the oxygen-masks had dropped down after the TARDIS had crashed.

" Uh..." Moaned Fitz. He slowly made his way to the console and released a catch and out dropped a first aid kit. Gently, and occasionally giving a wince, Fitz wrapped a bandage around his wound. It was only **now **that he noticed that The Doctor had not woken up. He edged himself around the console and knelt down at The Doctor's body. " Doctor? Doctor! What do I do? Ah, resuscitation!"

And, placing both hands on The Doctor's chest, Fitz pressed down before moving to The Doctor's other heart. " Come on, Doc."

He looked to see if there was any reaction. The Doctor still wasn't responding. Fitz gave out a exasperated sigh.

He knew exactly what had caused this...and what lead to this. He also knew that, if The Doctor's injuries were serious, he might have to change his appearance.

And Fitz knew what it was like to wake up to that

_15/6/ 2009. Blackpool Beach, Blackpool._

The TARDIS materialized, on purpose, in the middle of the 'sea' of Blackpool, except there was one problem: there was **no **sea-water anywhere. The entire Earth was devoid of water. The only source was those in thousands of bottles of Evian and Buxton, amongst numerous other makes of bottled water.

The Doctor and Donna emerged from the TARDIS and looked at their surroundings. There was slight traces of puddles of water.

" I mean, yeah, big trouble on an epic scale. Very limited amount of use of water, if any, and you can only live without some sort of liquid until it starts to take it's toll. But...well, look around you."

The Doctor and Donna viewed the horizon. OK, every now and then, there were shopping trollies strewn about the place but they also noticed downed WWII planes and a sunken ship or two.

" The other good thing." Replied Donna. " People won't have to spend death-defying trips to find remnants of the Titanic or any other sunken treasures. It just feels weird, though, you know. Not seeing waves crash upon the shore or hearing it either. And what of the aquatic species? I wanna know who's behind this."

" That's the spirit, Donna." The Doctor looked down at Donna. " That's what I like to see in your species: that sense of adventure. Come on."

As The Doctor and Donna walked away from the TARDIS – wanting to find any information from the locals - , a figure came out from behind the pillar of Blackpool pier: Fitz Kreiner.

Waiting until they had reached a safe distance, Fitz walked over to the familiar police box and patted the side of the time-travel machine.

" Hello, old girl."

Upon entering the TARDIS, Fitz's mouth opened up in amazement. Obviously, The Doctor still hadn't got round to changing the interior since the last time Fitz had been a companion. He leaned against one of the support posts and took in the familiarness of it all.

He walked around the console and placed an object underneath the scanner. The result didn't ease his mind.

The object was Gallifreyan in origin and it was a circular symbol with a line down the middle. Residing in the middle was a green stone, which was also Gallifreyan.

" There's three obvious, not to mention devious, culprits. The Master has returned, Mortimus – the Meddling Monk, or..."

He stopped as he turned and noticed a female figure standing there. She was wearing clothes of the current era – to avoid suspiscion – and her fingernail were nail-varnished red. What Fitz noticed more was the fact that she had regenerated into a younger woman.

It was The Rani.

" Ah, Mr. Kreiner." She smiled, which sent a shiver down Fitz's spine. " I would be careful with that." Her eyes squinted into a glare. " VERY careful."

" I...impossible." Stuttered Fitz. " Gallifrey was destroyed. Wiped out. And that goes along with the residents. And, really, The Doctor should be back 'cause Time-Lords can tell if there's another Time-Lord around."

" You're very good with Gallifreyan lore, Mr. Kreiner. But there's still some info missing here and there. What makes you think I was on Gallifrey when it was destroyed. Like these prehistoric men in the 1950s, they believed the woman should stay at home and not get involved in the war. My involvement sent me back to 1980's London with a semi-working TARDIS and a new regeneration.What d'ya think?"

She posed like a supermodel. Her hair was fashioned into a shoulder length bob and, despite her age, she looked like she was only in her early 20's. She had decided to ditch the nose-stud, replacing it with a nose-ring, which seemed to be the fashion these days.

" Now, I **have **to press on. So..." She held out her hand. " The device, Mr. Kreiner, or do I have to use a little persuasion."

And, raising her right hand, revealed a device that she had had on her person all along. It, like the device Fitz had, was Gallifreyan in origin but looked slightly more menacing.

" A...and what d'ya call that, then?" Stuttered Fitz, once again. He silently cursed himself for his slight cowardess. " Will it turn me into a tree? Or trap me in a bubble and send me crashing into a cliff, somewhere."

" Oh, now, you're just being silly." Came a sudden voice from behind them.

Fitz and The Rani looked in the direction of the entrance to the TARDIS. Standing in the entrance of the TARDIS stood a figure wearing what Fitz learnt to be geek chic. And, standing next to him was a ginger-haired female. From the looks of her, she looked like she didn't take any guff from anyone.

And he would be right.

" Oh, they're all coming out now, aren't they?" Huffed Donna. " So, who's she, then?"

" Donna, may I introduce you to The Rani?" He looked at her. " She's a Time-Lady. She's from Gallifrey."

" And what about 'im?" Replied Donna.

The Doctor had to have a little more time with Fitz. After a time, he smiled and, ignoring The Raini with her threatening device, walked up and placed his arm around Fitz.

" Ah, Mr. Kreiner!" Beamed The Doctor. " Donna, I would like you to meet Fitzgerald Michael Kreiner or Fitz for short. So, Fitz, how long has it been?"

A cough came from in front of him. The Doctor took his arm from around Fitz and gave his attention to The Rani.

" I take it that the water disappearing from the Earth is your doing, eh?"

" I don't like to brag." Said The Rani with a wicked smile. " Well, it wasn't all me. The Master, or Mr. Saxon, gave me a hand while you were marooned for that brief time. A lot can happen in five minutes." She gave a fleeting, and disgusted glace, to Donna. " And don't worry, the dolphins **are **safe. As are the seals, the turtles and all manners of aquatic life."

" So, where's the water, then?" Asked Fitz.

" Do you mind?" Said The Doctor. He then repeated Fitz's question. " So, where's the water, then?"

" Why, in Mr. Kreiner's digits, of course." Replied The Rani. " Oh, by the way, that reminds me."

And, before anyone could stop her, she raised the device and pressed a button. The Doctor managed to deflect most of the energy but most of it **did **hit Fitz.

" You stole that from the Time-Lords." Said The Doctor, who was holding his arm whilst kneeling near Fitz's body. An aura was already covering him.

" Not exactly." Retorted The Rani. " I mean, how could you steal something from someone...when they're already dead. Remember when they had to force a regeneration on you, Doctor?"

The Doctor cottoned on and looked down at Fitz. Sure enough, Fitz's features were morphing into a new form.

" Luckily, he's spent most of this time travelling with you in the TARDIS. Somehow, the Arton energy seems to be keeping him alive. Now, give me the device, Doctor..."

This time, she focused her attention on Donna and looked her up and down.

" I can just tell that your young friend here hasn't spent that much time in the TARDIS." Aiming the device at Donna, she raised an eyebrow. " Would you like me to test this out on the virgin redhead?"

" Eh. Who're you callin' a virgin?" Hissed Donna, only to get a shake from the head from The Doctor and a glare from The Rani.

The Doctor took the device from Fitz's fingers, which were turning slightly chunky and grugingly threw the device at The Rani.

" Now, isn't that better? Don't you just feel so good?" She looked at the device she had shot Fitz with and chucked it away. " Only had use for one more forced regeneration. Have a nice day."

And giving Donna another scathing look, The Rani left the TARDIS.

" I don't like her." Said Donna, once The Rani had left and slowly made her way towards The Doctor and the unconscious Fitz. " Is he alright?"

The Doctor looked back at Fitz and no longer recognized the unconscious figure. Once, in Gallifreyan past, they had said it was impossible to add the regeneration genome to humans. But, stranger things had happened. Rose had absorbed the Time Vortex, another companion had actually turned into a TARDIS and most of his human companions were very unique indeed.

He placed a hand in the middle of Fitz's chest and gave a sigh of relief.

" He's still alive. Oh, and he's still got one heart."

" What d'ya mean - ' he's still got one heart.' How many hearts do Time-people usually have?"

" Didn't I tell you? Once Time-Lords use their first regeneration, they grow another heart. Make sure you remember that if I'm ever near-death." And he gave a sneering look. " And don't ask if I've got two of anything else."

Fitz suddenly shot bolt upright and gave a huge gasp of breath. He looked around the TARDIS before looking at The Doctor and Donna.

" What'd that cow do to me?" He said, fuming. " She better not have damaged my good looks, 'cause... what?"

" Fitz, I couldn't stop her in time but, luckily I managed to deflect most of it into myself. It'd take a lot to knock me down. The device she used on you is a forced regeneration device. She's changed your appearance...like I do, remember."

" Mirror, please." Muttered Fitz. " Could you pass me a mirror, please? I'm one tough cookie, Doc. It'll take a lot more than a changed...face...to..."

The reason he had cut off in the middle was because Donna had passed him a make-up mirror. His features were slightly rounder, as were his fingers and, most probably, his toes.

" Listen, you'll get used to it." Ressured The Doctor. " I know it might seem weird but The Rani assured me that it had only worked once. Although, how well I trust that statement..."

" Doctor." Cut-in Donna. " Are we moving?"

Sure enough, they realized that they were gently rocking. Fitz was starting to feel a little iffy.

" You need a lie-down. Donna, I'm sure I can trust you to take our friend to the Zero-Room, can't we? Go past the library, up the spiral staircase, down the corridor, past the classroom and half-way across the gantry and turn left."

Donna nodded and escorted Fitz through the door leading to the rest of the TARDIS. Once they had left, The Doctor turned the screen on and rubbed his neck.

" We're deep in it."

Back in the present, Fitz was still trying revive The Doctor. At the moment, he had managed to get The Doctor into an upright position and had placed a breathing mask around his mouth.

He looked around the interior of the spaceship and sighed. It used to be so full, like a dinner party. Donna, Martha, Sarah-Jane Smith, Captain Jack and Rose.

Now, it was just him and The Doctor. Martha didn't want to return to that same old routine, Sarah-Jane and Captain Jack had their friends to work with. Even ballsy-Donna left after a couple of years (give or take). Most of them had flitted in and out of The Doctor's life (Jack more than most) and, once The Doctor had met up with his seventh incarnation, Ace and Hex. The good old days, however, had been when it had been him, The Doctor and Rose.

Suddenly, with a huge gasp, The Doctor sat bolt upright and took huge lungfuls of air. He looked around before focusing his attention on Fitz.

" You just relax, Doctor." Said Fitz, calming the agitated, yet revived, figure down. " That must have been some force to knock the power."

The Doctor groaned as he sat in a more comfortable postion.

" Did you get the number?" He joked and noticed, as he laughed, his side hurt. " You did good work, Fitz, thank-you. What would I do without you, eh?"

**" **Friends stick together, don't they?"

_Lexicano. Fima Four Solar System._

" Alright, Rose, I think we've embarrassed Mr. Kreiner for long enough now. Now, let's give him his clothes back now."

Fitz, Rose and The Doctor had been relaxing in and near the pools of Lexicano for three days now. Lexicano was a warm-watered lake, due to the sun sending down a lush beam. It was surrounded by trees and winding paths-ways, which lead to a friendly village. The locals knew The Doctor of old and, any friend of The Doctor's, was a friend of theirs, which Rose hadn't heard about in ages. However, according to The Doctor, an ill wind was about to blow their way. But, at the moment, Rose was taking advantage of Fitz's embarrassing situation.

" Alright then, but only if he admits that I can probably fly the TARDIS better than him." Replied Rose, keeping Fitz's clothes out of his reach. She turned to The Doctor and innocently added. " Well, when **you **say it's OK, that is."

" Oh, alright then." Moaned Fitz. " You're a much better driver at flying the TARDIS than me. Now, please could I have my clothes back, Rose."

Finally, Rose relented and, turning away, let Fitz get dressed in peace. As Fitz was getting his Bad Wolf t-shirt on, all three of them heard a rustling coming from the bushes.

" As long as it's not a huge wasp-type thing, I'm fine." Said Fitz, as he took a deep breath before adding. " Or a Slitheen. Or a werewolf."

" So, pretty much anything **we've **come into contact with, then." Replied Rose, indicating herself and The Doctor. " Although, the wasp-type creatures were more you and Donna, weren't they?"

"They weren't wasps." Sighed The Doctor, who was still keeping a look-out. " They were called Vernoids. Alright, I guess in shape and colour, yeah, they did look like wasps."

" **Time-Lord!**" Hissed a voice. " **Finally, we get to inhabit a Time-Lord's essence. You don't mind, do you?**"

" Pretty much so, yeah." Retorted The Doctor. " Try getting in contact with your fellow species. One of them is trapped in unbreakable chains made from the material of a dwarf-star. Another one is trapped in the event horizon of a dying star, I've trapped another in every mirror in existence and I've made another one protect the fields of England, forever. Now, me and my companions just wish for some peace and quiet. And you've got, what, six more minutes left before you vanish into nothing. So, spend those last six minutes or so, floating around the cosmos."

As a last ditch effort, the aura charged straight for Rose. However, The Doctor chucked a device at the floor, which raised a force-field.

" Thank-you, Jack." Said The Doctor to no-one in particular.

He watched as Rose lifted up a hand and placed it against the force-field and, using the last of it's energy, the aura quickly turned into a faint outline of Rose's body before turning into sparkly dust.

" We done, then?" Asked Fitz. " Rose, are you ready to go through time and space?"

He held up his hand, ready for a high-five. The Doctor was more than willing to comply, which Rose did soon after.

As they took their journey to the TARDIS, they started talking about 'The Family of Blood'.

" So, how long does the FoB live for?"

" No-one knows, really." Replied The Doctor. " Once, they ran on until the end of one reality and carried on to the next. The last I saw of them, they were trying to steal my body. I used a chameleon-arc to turn myself into a human for a period of time 'til The Family died out. 'The Family', sounds a bit like EastEnders_, _don't it?"

And, from there to the TARDIS, they did EastEnders catchphrases.

" I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

The Doctor looked weakly into Fitz's eyes. The power was still out and The Doctor, despite regaining consciousness, still looked a little weak.

" Hey, there's no need for you to apologize, Doc." Replied Fitz. " I mean, you could say it's a painless way of gettin' plastic surgery."

They both laughed at the joke but simmered down slightly when The Doctor started to hold his side.

" So, how'd ya know it was me?" Asked The Doctor, after a while. " 'Cause, if you remember, I had a penchant for dressing victorian and I had a slight scouse accent. Mind you, that was two incarnation ago. You know, counting **that **one and my ninth."

" Well, the police telephone call-box gave it away. And then, there was the girl on your arm."

" I **don't **always have just female companions. There was Adric, Jack, Jamie, you, Hex..."

" Alright, I get your point." Fitz thought for a moment before adding. " And the last thing: that aura of grace and adventure you always have, or are looking forward to."

" True." The Doctor looked around the console room. " This place isn't making me feel any better. Fitz, could you guide me to the Zero Room, please?"


	2. Being there for them

Doctor Who

Memory Lane

Fitz helped The Doctor down the corridor to the Zero Room. The Doctor had used it once before in his fifth incarnation and it relaxed the brain and himself in general. The Zero Room had completely changed to how it was last time. Sure, it still had the area where no noise could interrupt but, after the renovation, the new Zero Room had a spiral staircase leading up to a whole upper area of books and a leather three-piece suite to lounge in.

Fitz stood back as The Doctor levitated, as he had done once before. He closed his eyes, yet pointed to the upper area of the Zero Room.

" Feel free, Fitz, to do a bit of reading." The Doctor opened one eye. " Unless you prefer to play on the latest games console. What're we in, now? 2999. Now, to my recollection, the Playstations in general went obsolete and were replaced by those old favourites: Virtual Reality."

" No, Doctor." Replied Fitz. " I'll be alright readin'." He clapped and rubbed his hands together with a smile on his face. " Got any Graphic Novels?"

" Honestly, you people and reading graphic novels. What about Dickens, Shakespeare and Agatha Christie? All of whom, I might add, I have had the good fortune to meet." With a sigh, he indicated at the upper area. " Yes, there's graphic novels."

Fitz smiled and leapt up the stairs two at a time. Upon arriving at the top, he noticed that each shelf had a little sticker marked 'horror' or 'sci-fi' or, indeed, 'graphic novels'. Taking a _Spider-Man 3 _graphic novel from the shelf, Fitz sat on the sofa and began to read.

" So, and don't think I've forgotten, where's Trixie? You both seemed happily together when I left. You didn't decided to leave her, did you?"

" She's fine." Replied Fitz. " All right, if you must know, prior to meeting you again, we fell out and were having a cooling off period. Hence me being in Blackpool. I was going to go skinny-dipping in the sea but...no sea, you see."

The Doctor was really keeping Fitz talking, as not to make him worry about what was **really **happening to him. Each time he closed his eyes, he could feel the energy, which caused a regeneration, bubbling to the surface. Plus, he was in two minds about how it would feel to change into someone new. On the one hand, he had spent five years as his current incarnation and was settling in. Then again, there was some part of him that was looking forward to his next image. On the other hand, what if he did a one-step-forward-two-steps-back and changed back into the eighth Doctor?

Very faintly, he could hear the causes that had made his change into his ninth incarnation and it made him shudder, which Fitz noticed.

" Everything OK, Doc?" Asked Fitz, as he stood up and held onto the bannister, ready to jump to attention.

" Just a little cold." The Doctor thought for a moment. " Or, am I hot? Fitz, be a pal and take my jacket off for me."

Fitz nodded and, after making his way down the spiral staircase, walked over to The Doctor's floating figure and removed his jacket, revealing a white shirt underneath. Fitz hung the jacket onto a coathanger, which apart from being covered in cobwebs, seemed to hold it.

He smiled. Looking after The Doctor reminded him of how The Doctor had comforted and looked after Fitz.

Two hours after the incident with The Rani and Fitz having been given a forced regeneration, The Doctor entered Fitz's room. After the half-hour in the Zero Room, Donna had kindly escorted him into Fitz's old bedroom, which oddly enough, Rose had occupied whilst in the TARDIS.

He pointed to the edge of the bed, which Fitz understood as a question to be seated. He nodded and The Doctor sat on the edge of the bed.

" So, how're we now, then?" Asked The Doctor with a smile. " Now, you know I feel, eh?"

" I'm ready for the news, Doc." Said Fitz, giving a good performance of drama. " What did she do to me?"

" Who, Donna? Nothing." Joked The Doctor. " She escorted you to your bedroom."

" No." Replied Fitz with a smile, getting The Doctor's joke. " The Rani. What did she do to my molecular makeup?"

" Ooh, hark at him with his long words." The Doctor dropped the amusement and jokes and rubbed at his eyes with the balls of his fingers. " Once Donna had escorted you to the Zero Room, I checked your DNA and it appears that, not only have you had a forced regeneration but, somehow, it dropped 16 years. So, let's see – how old are you now, Fitz?"

" Just before you arrived at Blackpool, I had just turned 37." Fitz's eyes bulged in amazement. " So, you're telling me that I'm only 21. Hang about, I heard about a bloke that managed to make himself younger. D'ya reckon that's what she's done to me?"

" Nah. 'Cause I also checked for any fluctuating DNA – nothing that I could see." He looked at Fitz with a knowing look. " Believe me, I should know. But, don't worry, you won't live to be my age. Remember, I took half of that energy. What'll do to me – I don't know. But you're in the clear."

" But didn't The Rani say summat about only having enough power for one shot and, with no change in you, it didn't have that much power. But, enough power to change my mol- appearance and knock 16 years off. But how come I can remember my trips with you?"

" All the wonders of Time-Lord technology, Fitz. I'm going to let you get some rest and, when you feel up to it, we can move onto somewhere else."

The Doctor patted Fitz on the shoulder, stood up and made his way towards the door.

" Doctor, just one more thing – what happened to The Rani?"

The Doctor gave a cheeky smile, thinking about what he had seen on the scanner.

" Let's just say she's up in 'arms' and that's she a 'sucker' for trying to do what she did."

And, with a wink to Fitz, The Doctor left the room.

" Earth to Fitz."

Fitz came to his senses and turned to see The Doctor, who had one eye open and looking at him. He remembered the first time he had met The Doctor. At the time, he had been around 36 or 37, and was caught up in some sort of experiment called 'The Taint', which ultimatly claimed his mother. He had decided to join The Doctor and another companion called Sam(antha) Jones. Years went past, Sam left, some other companions came aboard (Anji, Compassion and Trixie, respectivly) before Compassion left Fitz and Trixie on Earth in the year 2001.

Seven years had past and Fitz had seen it all. Cybermen marching down steets and neighbourhoods, a rogue Slitheen (or, as Trixie had called them – bog-monsters) terrorized them until it exploded on them after Trixie threw the couple's fish and chips at it (with a little too much vinegar).

He had also been 'this close' to being exterminated by Daleks, if not for something that had sucked it, the Cybermen and almost him into something the Cybermen had called 'The Void'.

" Sorry, Doc." Smiled Fitz. " Just thinking about good times. And Trixie. What's she going to say if..."

"...you return with your new image." The Doctor put both hands behind his head, wincing slightly as the pain in his side returned. " Well, she'd be fuming, obviously. No-one likes to be the oldest in the relationship, especially girls. But...oh, I don't know. She's had to put up with you for seven years."

" Hey." Replied Fitz, adding a smile. " It's not all one-sided, you know. I've had to put up with the fact that she steals most of the bedclothes, puts too much vinegar and salt on our chips and always insists that I get behind her if aliens arrive. But, there are things I love and miss about Trix. Her smile, those dimples that appear when she does, her – if you'll excuse the pun – compassion for others."

" Another thing I like about you humans – love." Smiled The Doctor. " The love you have for one another, the occasional change of vows you have when you get married. Those breezy moonlit walks down the beach or in the park. The fact that, apart from those certain habits that make the other grit their teeth, you overcome and find enhanced vigour."

And, with a stretch that pained him more, The Doctor stood up from his brief lie-in. He suddenly felt winded and lifted his shirt up to reveal a wound finally reaching its end.

" Still a little sore but I'm made from much sterner stuff, Fitz."

He clapped and rubbed his hands together and headed for the doors, leading out of the Zero Room. Fitz took that sign as The Doctor was ready for another adventure. Although, he was still unsure. Was The Doctor hiding something from him?

" Oh, come on. Please tell me."

The Doctor had tried to shake Rose off his trail while walking through the corridors of the TARDIS. Maybe it had been wrong of him to reveal that he had a surprise for her on her birthday. Upon hearing the words ' birthday' and 'surprise', Rose had been trying to weedle the info out of him.

Rose herself had an inkling that it involved taking her to another time. Well, obviously, in a time-machine like this, what else would the present be?

" Rose, would you calm down?" Said The Doctor with a little hint of a smile. " I've had trouble wrapping **this **present 'cause it keeps moving."

Rose stopped for a second. That wasn't what she was expecting him to say. One of the biggest surprises had been The Doctor changing his appearance right in front of her in a stream of yellow energy – something he had referred to as regeneration. The second surprise was finding out that she hadn't been the only female assistant in The Doctor's life, upon meeting Sarah Jane Smith while fighting flying aliens called the Krillitane.

" Is it a puppy, Doctor?"

" A-- come on, Rose. What're you, 12?" The Doctor and Rose walked through the doors to the console room. " Well, according to the scanner, we're here now. Ah-ah." He said, hiding the surroundings from her. He pointed to the doors that led to the outside world.

Rose ran down the grated walkway, which led down to the doors. As always, she took one last look at The Doctor, who simply gave a smile before looking at his fingernails.

Rose opened the door and was almost blown back by the noise of her nearest and dearest shouting:

" SURPRISE!"

Managing to regain her composure, Rose smiled as Jackie walked up to her and gave her a kiss and a cuddle.

" Happy Birthday, darlin'." Said Jackie in her usual way. " Don't blame me. It was all down to 'im."

Rose turned to see The Doctor's smilnig figure, which was leaning against the side of the TARDIS with his arms crossed.

After Rose had mingled and been kissed, hugged and greeted by her friends and family, she took a seat and sighed.

She was soon joined by The Doctor. As he looked, and occasionaly waved, at passers-by, he talked to Rose without looking at her.

" What's up?"

" Not that it's not perfect, it is." She smiled and The Doctor looked at her. " Thank-you."

" But..." Replied The Doctor, urging her on.

" Jack, Mickey...Dad. They're rebuilding planet Earth..." She noticed that The Doctor winced at that but carried on. "...saving another Earth from the attack of the Cybermen and..." Rose gave out a little chuckle. " Well, one of them is dead while another is walking around in that same universe Mickey is. Is there any, and I mean **any **possible chance that--"

" No." Sighed The Doctor. " The pathways closed. I know it pains you to hear it but, even if the pathway was open again...well, I wouldn't like to think of the result. As for Jack, I don't know. I really don't know."

_Ellis Island, New York – 1869_

Barges blasted their horns and Dockers called out orders. People were getting on with their jobs and lives. The waves crashed up against the quay and other quay workers caught ropes and helped ships and barges to dock.

Not one person noticed a flash, followed by a brief view of a swirling vortex. Least of all, they didn't notice a tall, handsome figure being spat out into reality.

He wore a blue greatcoat, which covered a white shirt with braces and trousers.

When he spoke, he sounded American.

" I should fit in well."

He looked down at his charred VM on his wrist. He pressed a few buttons, trying to activate it again. A few brief sparks shot out and rolled onto his shoe.

" Oh..."

" Shall we?"

The Doctor and Fitz were in the TARDIS console room. The Doctor rolled one wheel-like control, pulled a lever and jumped to the other side of the console and hit a button with the palm of his hand.

The jarring of the TARDIS made Fitz fall backwards and land on the seat.

" Behave!" Berated The Doctor to the TARDIS. He turned his neck to face Fitz. " You alright, Fitz? She's not usually like this."

" I'm fine, Doc." Smiled Fitz. " maybe she's trying to tell you something. What was it last time? Pushing her to her limits to catch up with the taxi that Donna was in."

" Something like that, yeah." He looked at the scanner, which was still showing the Vortex. Suddenly, he exclaimed. " Ah! How stupid of me. I haven't set a journey."

" What about the..." Asked Fitz, doing a very good impression of what The Doctor had been doing at the console.

" That? I was just startin' her up. So, where to, Mr. Kreiner?"

" What about you, Doctor? You've always asked **us **where **we **want to go but you've never had time to think about yourself. For once, going somewhere where you wanna go. Have you ever considered going into Gallifrey's past?"

" Not possible, Fitzgerald. That's one of Gallifrey's...was one of Gallifrey's fundimental rules. And I dunno what I'd be like if I went back to view the reckage that the Time War had done to it."

The Doctor closed his eyes as he heard battlecries of Time-Lords and Daleks. He could see a figure with long brown hair, wearing a victorian costume looking into the eyestalk of a Dalek, never backing down and not showing one ounce of fear.

He could hear it's grating voice as it titled him:

" **You are the Oncoming Storm, Time-Lord. We shall make Davros so proud as we destroy our greatest enemies, including the one that calls himself 'The Doctor'.**

A large chunk of memory was missing about what happened next. Or was it because The Doctor chose not to remember it? Anyway, the next thing he remembered was waking up in the TARDIS, which was hurtling through the Vortex.

Then, he remembered a blonde girl, being harrassed – almost killed – by Autons and being saved by that same girl as he was held over the vat, which contained the Nestene Consciousness. He also remembered her smiling face as she ran – from her boyfriend, from her time, from her old life and into her new one.

" Doctor, is everything OK?"

The Doctor could faintly hear Fitz's voice coming through the memories. Fitz. He remembered leaving Fitz and Trixie on Earth, as he hurried back to Gallifrey.

The Doctor gave a gasp before looking at Fitz with a look of importance and urgency.

" Zero Room."


	3. Comfort and Comanions

Doctor Who

Memory Lane

Fitz and The Doctor made their way back to the Zero Room. Fitz had heard from another companion of The Doctor's – Martha Jones – mentioning about people going back into comas after trauma.

'Mind you', he thought as he watched The Doctor levitate again. ' I didn't know Martha that long. And medical jargon goes past my understanding. I mean, I was an assistant in a florist's. Now, look at me, I'm a DOCTOR's assistant.'

" Feel fre..." Wheezed The Doctor. " Feel free to read again. Don't think you have to stand by my bedside."

" It sounds tempting, Doc." Joked Fitz. " But I want to make sure **you **get better. I mean, who'll help me fight my battles if you're not around. Sorry, that sounded insensitive."

" Think nothing of it. You're nervous, Fitz. People do crazy things when they're nervous. They laugh, they pinch themselves, they start fights, they fret about little things. They babble, although I do that most of the time. OK, most of the time, I'm in front of Daleks and Cybermen and I only find that being off-hand and having an up-beat attitude throws them off their game. That's until I mean business, of course."

" Yeah, well, Daleks and Cybermen aren't here at the moment, Doctor. You're amongst friends. Well a friend. Actually, it's me."

" Hey." Replied The Doctor, who was looking a little white. " There's nothing wrong with you, Fitzgerald Michael Kreiner. So, don't put yourself down like that."

Fitz decided to let The Doctor get a little rest. So, he left the Zero Room and headed back to the console room and sat down on the chair, thinking about the next course of action

Levitating, and slightly feverish, The Doctor was thinking about all his previous incarnations. He had remembered them so much, he could remember how they all died and regenerated.

Since Fitz wasn't around, he turned his body around and concerntrated. His memory was a little hazy so his first memory was a little black and white.

He smiled with a hint of nostalgia as he remembered Ben and Polly.

" Doctor, what's happened?" Asked Polly, as The Doctor fell to the floor.

" No, leave him." Answered Ben, unsure of if Doctor was injured.

Polly moved the scarf away from The Doctor's face as a sudden light came from The Doctor's face. Soon, The Doctor had regenerated into his second form, that of a clownish fellow with black hair.

The second regeneration happened on Gallifrey, in which the Time-Lords had – after giving him a choice of faces to regenerate into – forced a regeneration onto him, had his memory wiped so he could no longer control the TARDIS and was exiled to Earth. His hair had turned snow-white and he looked much older.

The third time he had regenerated was with Sarah Jane Smith and another ally, the Brigadier, in his lab – which he had got while working for UNIT – and, thanks to another being, he regenerated into a figure with curly brown hair and a penchant for jelly babies.

The fourth time he had changed was when he had fallen off the Pharos Project and, under the watchful eye of Nyssa, Tegan and Adric, he merged with The Watcher – who was the mysterious figure that had been following him around – to turn into the Fifth Doctor, a youngish incarnation with blonde hair and a penchant for cricket.

The sixth Doctor came about when, after being infected by radiation on Androzani, the Fifth Doctor sacrificed himself by giving Peri – his then companion – the last of the antidote before seeing images of his friends/ companions urging him to live. The Master also appeared and urged The Doctor to die. Luckily, the companions won over and The Doctor regenerated into his sixth incarnation.

The end of the sixth Doctor's life happened when he hit his head on the console and regenerated into his Seventh persona. Except, with The Doctor, nothing is so straight-forward. The Doctor had been scared of turning into The Valeyard – his last regeneration – and his Seventh persona, hoping to prevent it, knocked himself out and was born from that incident.

The Eighth Doctor's life started when the Seventh Doctor was shot in a rival-gang shooting and was ultimatly killed when Dr. Grace Holloway – a cardiologist – had no idea that The Doctor was an alien and, unintentionally, killed him.

The Doctor's head suddenly started buzzing and he cut off. Obviously, the memory of the Ninth Doctor's 'birth' still didn't want to be remembered.

The memory of the current incarnation was stll fresh and The Doctor felt sorry for Rose, just as she was getting to know him, he goes and changes.

" It still sends shivers down my spine."

The Doctor, still levitating, turned onto his stomach and his mouth opened in amazement.

Standing in the doorway to the Zero Room with a smile on her face...was Rose.

Rose Marion Tyler looked a little older (2 years – give or take) but still had that cheekiness to her. She walked up to the levitating figure, squatted down and held his hand. She ignored the fact that it was hot and sweaty.

She turned to Fitz and smiled.

" Fitz, could you kindly go and get a flannel?"

With a nod, Fitz headed down the corridor and turned left. Rose turned back to The Doctor and moved the wet hair off his forehead.

" I missed you, you know that, don't you?"

" Every time a star died, you thought of me, didn't you?" The Doctor looked up at Rose. " Every time you saw a shooting star, you said to Jackie 'that's The Doctor, saving another planet'. Every time you read a Dickens novel..."

" Alright, that's enough." Smiled Rose. " Charles Dickens novels are a little out of my depth. I wait 'til the film's out."

The Doctor smiled at Rose's humour. Soon after, Fitz returned and placed a glass bowl and green flannel next to Rose.

" Did you want me to..." Asked Fitz, indicating the double doors, leading out to the corridor.

" I'm sure The Doctor would want us to be together." Replied Rose, as she dabbed The Doctor's forehead. " That's what he would have wanted."

" And she's speaking like I'm dead...great." Said The Doctor, shaking his head. " But, yeah, Rose is right, Fitz. I would like my nearest and dearest around me."

As Fitz squatted the other side of The Doctor, Rose looked up at the screen and smiled as she saw the still image of The Doctor, her Doctor, smiling.

" We were going to go to Barcelona, weren't we?" She smiled, as she passed the flannel to Fitz and looked at Fitz. " Not the city, Barcelona. The planet."

And both her and The Doctor said in unison.

" Where the dogs have got no noses."

Fitz smiled at the bond between the two.

The Doctor looked at Fitz wirh an enquiring look.

" How'd Rose get here? And when?"

**Half-an-hour earlier**

Fitz sat on the seat and wondered what to do next. He looked at the scanner and, although feeling stupid for asking a machine, spoke to the console.

" Give me all names of TARDIS companion crew."

His eyes opened in amazement as a whole list of 37 companions appeared on the screen, along with an option of subcatagories. He scrolled down, reading a name out loud now and then.

Finally, he reached a name and smiled as he pressed a button and picked up the phone.

" Hello." Came a Londoner voice from the other end.

" Rose, it's me...Fitz."

" Really. No means to sound rude or anything but you sound different. Then again, it might be to do with something with where the TARDIS is. Where are you now?"

Fitz smiled as he looked down and saw the view from the scanner.

" Look out of your bedroom window."

On the viewscreen, he could see a blonde figure pull the curtain back.

" Oh, my god. You two are so sneaky. Don't dematerialize, I'll be down in a minute.

Five minutes later, Rose entered the TARDIS. Fitz pretended to look down at his watch, despite the fact that he didn't have one on.

" You said five minutes."

" A girl has to look her best when two of her favourite men stroll into town." Rose smiled as she looked around the console room. " So, come on. Where's his Time-Lordship?"

Fitz dropped his mouth into a sad expression. Upon noticing it, Rose dropped her smile too and looked frantically around the console room again.

" What's up?"

" He's not well, Rose." Fitz looked into her eyes. " In fact, he's dying."

" And the TARDIS very kindly showed me the way to the Zero Room, which is very nice. Roomy and you've got an area to read. It's good to read."

A sudden flash went down The Doctor's body and, upon that happening, The Doctor dropped to the floor, spilling water everywhere.

" It's happening, guys." He managed to say. " Listen, I haven't got much time." He turned to Fitz, placing his hands on Fitz's shoulders. " Fitz, look after her for me."

" Now, don't say that. I can hardly look after myself." Replied Fitz.

" Rose, look after him and make sure you look after each other." The Doctor doubled over and backed into the wall.

Faces from his recent adventures flashed in front of his eyes. He could very vaguely feel Rose and Fitz holding each hand.

" _This is me...getting out_." Came Martha Jones' voice, after the whole Year-That-Never-Was incident with The Master.

" _The Twenty-First Century is when everything changes...and you've got to be ready._" Came the American voice of Captain Jack Harkness, as he saluted Martha and The Doctor.

" _After all you've done, all you've fought for – are you really going to let them beat you?_" Asked Adric's voice, after The Doctor had spent a brief moment of loss of raison d'etre.

" _His name is a legend. His name is The Doctor. _" Rallied Donna, proudly.

" _That's my Doctor. Doing it for the sake of the human race._" Cheered Fitz, as The Doctor got ready for the fight or loss of his life.

" _I love you._" Cried Rose, as the two of them had met on Bad Wolf Bay for what they thought was going to be the last time.

" It's going to be my last chance to prove it."

The Doctor snapped out of the visions and grabbing Rose's face with both hands and gave a full-on kiss on the lips, leaving her shocked and surprised after he had finished.

He turned to Fitz and, before Fitz could act, hugged Fitz and whispered into his ear.

" Live. Live for me."

And both Rose and Fitz backed away as The Doctor exploded into a shower of yellow and orange energy once more.

Upon opening his eyes, his first view of his new life was two figure crawling towards him on all-fours. One was a cute blonde female with a surprised look on her face and the other was...well, another blonde male with a look of wonder on his face.

After a moment, he regained the memories and identities of the two figures.

When he talked, he noticed it had a slight roughness to it with a hidden note of charm.

" Rose Marion Tyler and Fitzgerald Michael Kreiner."

" D...Doctor? Is that you?" Asked Fitz.

" Well, of course it's me." Sighed the stranger. " Who else would it be? Oh, I remember. I've just regenerated, haven't I? Erm, mirror. Mirror. I need a...ah!"

Appearing near the staircase was a full-length antique mirror. Slowly, as not to spoil the surprise, the figure walked up to it and looked at his reflection.

The first thing he noticed was that, much to his delight, he had ginger hair. He had always wanted to be ginger. Second, this incarnation must have been so long in arriving that he had worked out. Slightly stubbly around the chin area and those blue eyes.

He took the glasses out of his now-ruined jacket and placed them over his eyes.

" Hmm, not right now. But, maybe in time..." He turned to Rose and Fitz and indicated downwards, which they understood as asking their opinion.

" Well..." Started Rose. " We can't exactly judge just on appearances. We've got to see what you're like in...are those your muscles?"

" Erm, Rose, you were saying about not judging on appearances alone." He smiled at the recent incarnation of the current Doctor. " I think what she's trying to say is: when's that attack on Earth gonna happen?"

A sound – a very familiar sound to The Doctor and the companions rang out – from the depths of the TARDIS.

" You were saying, Mr. Kreiner?"

And, rushing out of the Zero Room, the three crew members hurried down the corridor and ready for action.

The End

**Cast**

**The Doctor – David Tennant/ Robert Kazinsky**

**Rose – Billie Piper**

**Fitz – /Joe Dempsie**

**Donna – Catherine Tate**

**The Rani – Gemma Arterton**

**Note: Well, I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave a review. Originally, Fitz was going to read out ALL the names of the companions on the screen. Well, I hope you enjoyed reading it as I have writing it.**

**Yes, I am aware that Mr. Dempsie is going to appear in an episode of series four of Doctor Who. But I was interested in a long-term role for him.**

**My final point of the evening. I _was _going to call this 'Journey's End' but, upon reading _Radio Times_, discovered that that's what Rusell T Davies had entitled one of his episodes.**

**Take care, all. **


	4. Diary Extracts

**Taken from the pages of Rose Marion Tyler's diary:**

_Well, he's gone and done it, again. He left me. Gone for good, this time. It's not **his **fault, nor do I blame Fitz. But, no matter how hard I try and wish, I won't get him back, this time. No Voids to blame or Daleks or Cybermen, just--_

_OK, i've had just a little bit of a cry. Well, so would you if you had lost the one you loved. I tried to hide my tears from The Doctor, except there was a tell-tale sign of the redness around my eyes. Upon seeing my face, he seemed determined to do something to put right..._

_Well, the NEW Doctor stopped the TARDIS, after our little encounter with...well, at the moment, I can't say what they were 'cause I can hardly pronounce the name. Although this new Doctor seems to say it easy enough. Anyway, Fitz knew when he had to give us some time and, as if by a miracle, the TARDIS had landed in **current day **New York. No Pig-Slaves. No evolved/ human-hybrid Daleks, just ordinary, yet beautiful New York. _

_What was I saying...oh yeah, The Doctor and I (look at me, soundin' all posh) sat on a bench in Central Park and, after giving me a brief history lesson like the other Doctor used to, we began to talk about **now**._

_He said " Now, I know this must be hard for you. Both of you." He had said, nodding towards Fitz, who was on a bridge that was looking over a river. " And I know you loved me back when I was thin and geeky. I'm just wonderin' if you wanted me to drop you back off home – remember, like we did last time. It was..."_

" _Just in time for Christmas." We had both said together. And, for the first time I had **actually **noticed, the Doctor had this really cute smile, which showed the dimples on his cheeks._

" _Remember what I said when we were about to pull those levers. I looked at you and said 'I'm never going to leave you'. And, if you think that just 'cause you've changed your image yet again, I'm going to head back to mum and cry in her arms and say how you've gone and there's no way you're coming back..." I looked into those new blue, penetrating eyes and smiled. " Well, you've got another thing coming, mate. I'm made of much sterner stuff."_

_And we shared a smile before joining Fitz and heading off into New York itself._

**Taken from the document of Fitzgerald Michael Kreiner (Fitz)**

Well, bloody hell, I must say. He likes to leave with a bang, doesn't he? I haven't seen him regenerate before and that was a miracle before my eyes. Obviously, I know little about the ol' renewal meself (or is it restoration). And The Doctor didn't explain much when The Rani changed my appearance, although he did say it was 'the miracles of Time-Lord technology'.

But this new chap isn't bad, either.

I dunno how much The Doctor's told anyone so I won't say much, either – but it's to do with that alarm (or Cloister Bell, as The Doc called it) and what a brawl that was.

Anyway, **after **that, The Doctor had decided to treat us to a trip around the seven galaxies (or was it Earth). After The Doctor had talked to Rose (probably about his recent looks or how his change had affected her), he took us in/ around New York itself, pointing out fascinating facts every now and then.

We went up the Empire State Building (which, The Doctor had added was fully finished, well at least until the 22nd Century when there was going to be another invasion). While Rose took in the sites and sounds of New York, The Doctor nodded over to a seat, well out of earshot of Rose, and we sat down and had a little talk.

" Now, Fitz..." He said to me. " Rose has already witnessed me change before and that came as something of a shock to her, as you can imagine." He gave me a concerned look with those blue eyes of his. " How about you? How're **you **feeling? 'Cause you weren't around when I changed into either incarnation and that must have been quite something to see it happen to **me**."

" Well, of course, Doc." I replied. " Seeing it happen to **someone else** is quite an experience to not being able to see it happening yourself." The Doctor had went to open his mouth again but I held up a hand and interjected. " I know what you're going to say, Doctor, and no, I'm not going to jump off the TARDIS, just because the pilot has regenerated. " In time, I'll get used to the fact that that's what your species has the ability to do. But, giving up the chance to fly around time and space is just like throwing away a winning lotto ticket."

The Doctor smiled, which seemed to be contagious 'cause I did too, and we joined Rose and, after taking a 360 degree look, we headed back into the lift and ventured more into the City.

**Written by The Doctor**

Well, at this early stage, I'm not going to say much, lest my enemies find it. But: I finally have ginger hair! Finally! It must have been in my subconscious all that time. When I first mentioned it to Rose. And it must have been waiting quite a looong time 'cause I seem to actually have muscles this time. I told people 'bananas were good for you' but do they listen? Well, now they will.

I had a little heart-to-heart with Rose and Fitz. **Both **seemed determined to stick by my side, despite the obvious change to my appearance. Despite smiling, I can sometimes tell that Rose is still missing the other me.

I also have stubble, as well. Eh, for the moment, it looks alright. But I might just shave it – we know how people with beards act. The next thing I'll be saying is: 'I am The Doctor and you will obey me'. Although, Rose seems to like it at the moment.

Also, I've just had a terrible thought – what will Jack think when he sees me again?


End file.
